Gate-latching device



v (No Model.) E. W. SNOW.& HIGGINS."

GATE LATGHING DEVICE.

,507. Patented Feb. 8, 1887 8 vwawtod' l/vi-bmeooeo m. Waihinglum n. a

Nrrn STATES ATENT FFICE.

GATE-LATCHINIG Device.

SPECIFICATION forming pa rt-of Letters Patent No. 357,507, dated February 8, 1887.

Application filed July 28, 1886. Serial No. 5209,3522. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ENOOH IV. SNOW and J AMns, E. HIGGINS, citizens of the United States, residing at Auburn, in the county of Sangamon and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Gate-Latching Devices, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in latches for automatic swinging gates, and has for its object to provide a device which will be simple in construction, easy of operation, which may be readily applied to any gate, and, when applied, quickly adjusted to compensate for wear and breakage.

To the above purpose our invention consists in certain peculiar and novel features of construction and arrangement, as hereinafter described and claimed.

In order that our invention may be fully understood, we will proceed to describe it with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of our improved gate, and Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.

In the said drawings, AAdesig'nate the two posts of the gate, the post Abeing that upon which the gate swings, and the post A being that against which the gate closes. 7

B designates the gate-frame, consisting of the parallel horizontal bars I) and the upright end pieces,'b If. The post b carries two eyes, b which receive hooks a upon post A, and thus form the hinges of the gate.

G designates the latch-bar of the gate, the inner end of which is pivoted upon. a pin, 0, which serves also to unite the two sections 1 2 of'a clamping-block, c, which embraces two bars, b, of the gate-frame between the uprights b 12 thereof.

0 designates a spring, one end of which is clamped between the sections 1 2 of the block c, and the opposite or free end of which presses upon the latch-bar O, as shown. The outer end of latch-bar 0 works freely in a mortise in the upright piece b and enters a recess, a, in gate-post A, a notched plate, c being secured to said post, contiguous to the lower edge of said recess, to receive the latch-bar.

Upon the upper end of post A are secured two outwardly-extending divergent arms, d,

which carry screw-eyes or pulleys d at their outer ends, and upon the upper end of upright 11 is a screw-eye or pulley, d

E E designate two posts, which are set at opposite sides of the post A, and some little distance therefrom, and upon the tops of which are mounted screw-eyes or pulleys c, as shown.

B designates a branched rope or cord, the lower end of which is secured to latch-bar O, and the branches f f of which extend through the screw-eye or pulley (1 From this pulley the branch f leads through the pulley d of one arm (1 and the pulley e of one post E, while the branch f leads through the opposite pulleys, d e. The arrangement of these rope or cord branches is such that the gate will always open and close away from the person entering or leaving the gate.

The posts E carry keeper-plates e, which receive the latch-bar G and hold the gate wide open, if desired.

The gate is simple and durable in construction and easy and reliable in operation.

The adjustability of our gate-latch gives it advantages superior to those of any latch heretofore devised. The latches can be made and sold independently of any gate, and may be quickly and readily applied to any having parallel horizontal bars.

In applying the latch the clamp-sections are made to embrace the gate-bars, and are tightened just enough to hold them against falling. They are then adjusted toward theforward end of the gate until they attain the proper position for the successful operation of the latch,

when they are permanently secured together.

In case the free end of the latch should have a small portion broken off, as frequently occurs,

it is only necessary to adjust the latch toward the free end of the gate in the same manner as it was adjusted in its original application to the gate.

If the latch should be injured to a degree which renders a new latch imperatively neces sary, the extreme simplicity of the parts of our device renders the removal of the broken latch and the application of a new one a matter of very little time and trouble.

Having thus described our invent-ion, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a swinging gate, the eombination,with the horizontal parallel gate-bars, of the clampsections embracing two of said bars, but not attached thereto, the latch-bar pivoially secured between the clamp-sections, the pivotpin of the latch-barseiwing to secure the clampsections together, and a spring having one end held between the clamp-sections and its other end bearing upon the latch-bar, substantially as specified.

2. In an automatic swinging gate, the com bination of the clamp-sections embracing but not secured to two adjacent horizontal bars of D. W. SAVAGE, W. H. HUSBAND. 

